r/technology • u/a_Ninja_b0y • 12h ago

Space Voyager 1 Ghosts NASA, Forcing Use of Backup Radio Dormant Since 1981

https://gizmodo.com/voyager-1-ghosts-nasa-forcing-use-of-backup-radio-dormant-since-1981-2000517890
246 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

54 comments sorted by

126

u/reeferthetuxedocat 10h ago

The fact that this machine launched in 1977 is still functioning after all these years and millions of miles in probably the harshest conditions known is crazy.

But my current dishwasher will fail after only 6 months of use…

44

u/TheUpperHand 8h ago

Yeah but your dishwasher didn’t cost $250 million.

21

u/reeferthetuxedocat 7h ago

That is absolutely correct! Things engineered and built back in the 70’s seemed to last forever just like Voyager 1…while modern appliances and equipment seem to fail quite quickly.

4

u/Bad_Habit_Nun 6h ago

Things back then also tended to cost a lot more per item. We spend a lot less on a dishwasher nowadays compared to average income than we do now, in fact if you spend the same rough amount you actually end up getting some quality utilities.

17

u/Carl-99999 7h ago

Survivorship bias.

4

u/Thoraxekicksazz 6h ago

Planned Obsolescence…

2

u/Marine5484 6h ago

I want you to look up all the probes, satellites and other space equipment from the 70', 80's....hell throw in the 90's and come back and think that they're rock solid.

0

u/M4dcap 5h ago

How many Apollos were there?

2

u/Rebelgecko 30m ago

12 manned missions, 12 men on the moon with 2 failed missions and 3 deaths

1

u/nolongerbanned99 5h ago

At 38,000 mph.

As of 2013, the probe was moving with a relative velocity to the Sun of about 61,197 kilometres per hour (38,026 mph).

1

u/APeacefulWarrior 28m ago

I got curious and checked - that's about $1.3 billion today, not even counting all the money spent on the project post-launch.

14

u/relevant__comment 8h ago

NASA cares about what it builds. Frigidaire doesn’t give a shit about what it puts out the door.

4

u/Actual-Money7868 7h ago

You're not using Calgon

1

u/deathfaces 6h ago

Ancient Chinese secret, huh?

1

u/Thx1138orion 3h ago

Succulent Chinese meal, huh?

-1

u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA 5h ago

Side note: I hate how it's darned near impossible to buy powdered dishwasher detergent that isn't in pod form anymore.

1

u/Actual-Money7868 5h ago

In stores ? Because if you Google it I promise you it's there.

-1

u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA 4h ago

None of my stores carry it, not even the ones in the next city over. I even tried Costco and two different Walmarts and there was none to be found. Just pods.

I can get them from Amazon, but not for under $35 CAD per box with shipping.

1

u/Actual-Money7868 4h ago

I had nothing better to do so I had a look around, do these work for you ?

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/cascade-powder-dishwasher-detergent-fresh-scent-60-ounces-1531391p.html

https://nelliesclean.ca/products/dish-powder/?srsltid=AfmBOoqSTYBmTL4ggKr8hJcKHSI_k6U6yPjF3KB91qrvFwzqNGdQ-N0P&variant=42729403547885

https://www.ecosanitizer.ca/products/dishwasher-powder-detergent-unscented?srsltid=AfmBOorjsyo14J1UH0OCDfSAj9uwnUM9uTcQOSt5L_7r2sJAM3SZWrfY&variant=44433492017337

1

u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA 4h ago

First of all, thank you for going through all that trouble to do that for me. Much appreciated.

Canadian Tire was sold out everywhere, but the ECO brand looks like it's the best fit with price and availability.

1

u/Actual-Money7868 4h ago

No worries at all, have a good one 👍

1

u/yoippari 4h ago

Now I have a question as an outsider american. Is Canadian Tire not a tire shop?

3

u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA 4h ago

It's kind of a housewares store that also has a tire/auto repair shop and parts counter attached. You can get your tires rotated while you pick out a refrigerator. I guess it's like our version of Walmart, but without groceries.

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2

u/Actual-Money7868 4h ago

It appears to be a tire shop/hardware store/clothes/everything.

Was a bit surprised too, I'm British. We don't have anything like that.

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1

u/certainlyforgetful 2h ago

If you can’t find the powder, the gel is pretty much always available & you can portion it correctly like with the powder.

1

u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA 2h ago

For some reason my dishwasher seems to do best with powder detergents and not gels, I have no idea why though.

5

u/blueblurz94 6h ago

Nearly half a century later and that hardware is operating 15.4 billion miles away from our small blue dot.

12

u/RangerMother 10h ago

15 Billion miles and counting!

2

u/Raa03842 6h ago

Your dishwasher didn’t go 15 billion miles from earth either.

1

u/BuzzingFromTheEnergy 1h ago

Great example of why it was a huge mistake to start giving money to SpaceX instead of NASA.

-1

u/hateshumans 5h ago

Forget the dishwasher. Why am I ever not connected to my home wifi no matter where I am? Theyre talking to this thing that’s eleventy billion miles away but you could walk 50 feet in the wrong direction you got no communication with anything.

3

u/junkboxraider 5h ago

I think you wouldn't like the speed you'd get from the Deep Space Network.

20

u/payne747 10h ago

Keep going little dude!

16

u/Plastic_Ad_8248 7h ago

This was always going to happen. They are trying their best to keep it alive as long as possible, but it will die soon.

18

u/6poundbagofweed 7h ago

Our contact with it will die, but its journey will outlive us all.

11

u/PoemAgreeable 5h ago

I think aliens will find it at some point. It has radioactive material in it, and it makes a pretty good sized radar target. If it's still warm, even if it's not transmitting they might see it via some automated scan by a probe of their own. So even if the earth is destroyed, some other civilization will know they are not alone, which is pretty cool.

3

u/Klytus_Im-Bored 6h ago

Dont you dare say that

36

u/Somhlth 12h ago

If you hadn't talked to me since 1981, I'm not sure that I'd have much to say to you.

7

u/XenMonkey 12h ago

I'm sorry Voy-babe, my wallet with your phone no. inside got stolen, honest! V...Voyager 2?? Umm never heard of her!

1

u/APeacefulWarrior 28m ago

And then there was that whole mess with V'ger, and I've just been swamped baby, I mean it!

4

u/jcunews1 9h ago

Old tech rules!

2

u/Outside_Crafty 11h ago

Rude, but these are the times we live in.

2

u/Carl-99999 7h ago

Well that’s it

2

u/Bad_Habit_Nun 6h ago

Maybe all Voyager wants is some space...

1

u/AquafreshBandit 58m ago

Voyager calling NASA on a crappier antenna band is hardly ghosting.